How To Prepare Your Fireplace For Winter

The winter season is almost associated with bad weather. This means that the likelihood that you will lose power at some point is high. With this in mind, if you don’t have a heating system in your house to keep your family safe and warm in cold nights, you should consider installing a fireplace in your homes. If you already have a fireplace or woodstove in place, it is good on you. All that is left to be done is prepare for the winter nights.

If you were once a boy scout or girl scout, you should know that being prepared for everything is vital. Don’t wait for your power to go down before you start grabbing the things that you need in order to survive. To help you prepare for the “dark” hours, here is a list of the things you need to do.

1. Stock up on fuel source. Fireplaces can be fueled by electricity, gas or wood. When the lights are out, electricity would not be of much help. You may find that going old school would be best for you on winter season. Your gas supply may be affected because of the bad weather. With this in mind, you have to make sure that you have split and stacked enough wood, dry enough for your fireplace. A dry pile of wood is best to create a good fire. A dry pile of wood also minimizes creosote buildup making your fire easier to maintain. Don’t forget to stack up with matchsticks and kindles too.
2. Check that your fireplace is in good condition. If you don’t know what is required for your fireplace to be in good condition, you can always consult a professional to have it checked for you. You have to remember that you may use your fireplace for days.
3. Acquire quality fireplace tools and accessories. Your fireplace will never be complete without the necessary tools to build a fire with convenience, ease, and safety. When you are out and about, make sure that you have durable fireplace accessories because you will be using them heavily. These are the tools that you may need in due time: a poker, tong, brush, shovel, fireplace screen, bellow, andiron, or log holder. You may need to invest on these if you don’t have these tools yet.
4. Practice your fire-building skills. It is said that practice makes perfect. Practice your skills so it will come natural to you. Start building a fire with tinder (easily burned materials like paper) at the bottom, then add kindling materials on top. Stack up fire logs on your andirons and light your tinder with a matchstick. This should give you a good head start on your fire-building skills.

When the power is down, you have to make sure that rooms that are not used are closed. This way, the heat from your fireplace is only concentrated on the room that you are occupying, giving you enough warmth for the night. Remember to keep your fire going, and gradually add fire logs to it. You may want to place containers of water near the fireplace. This is good for a couple of reasons. The warm water can be used for shower or other cleaning purposes. Eventually, the power will be back on, but keep the fire burning in your fireplace to give your home an alternative source of heat while your heating system is not yet on the works. When everything is back to normal, and your heating system is working, you can let your fireplace cool down. After the winter season, don’t forget to clean your fireplace so it will stay in good condition.

The winter season can be harsh, and you power may not be back on after a few days or a week. It is very important that you come prepared for the worst case scenario. Remember all the things mentioned in this article. This will surely help you prepare for whatever may come.

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